Drill bit

Abstract: A rotary or rotary/percussion drill bit 10 has a taper socket 14 in one end. A wall 18 bounds the socket 14. A plurality of recesses 20 is provided in the wall. In one embodiment, each recess 20 extends longitudially and resembles a flute. It has a valley 22 flanked by peaks 24. In another embodiment, the recesses may be circumferential, e.g. helical.

Description: THIS INVENTION relates to drilling equipment. More particularly, this invention relates to a drill bit suitable for rotary or percussion or rotary and percussion drilling, and to a combination of such a drill bit and a shaft connectable to a drilling machine. WO-A-82 02735 discloses a drilling assembly for use in percussion drilling and comprising a drill bit and a drill rod having co-operating (frusto-) conical surfaces. One of the surfaces has a helical thread and is of hard material. The other surface is of smooth and relatively softer material. During drilling (including rotation in right handed direction), the helical thread cuts into the softer material such that the two surfaces are fully in contact over the total surface area to form a non-slip union. According to the invention there is provided a drill bit which includes a body which has a mounting socket having a mouth toward an end of the body, the socket being defined by a longitudinally extending wall having an inner surface of generally round female frusto-conical shape tapering from the mouth inwardly, wherein the wall has a plurality of recesses formed and arranged to leave intact internal ridges or peaks coinciding with said round female frusto-conical shape and being distributed over substantially the whole of the surface of said socket, the material of the body being of metal and being hardened and tempered to render said ridges or peaks plastically deformable, to conform in use to an exact size and shape of a generally complementally sized and shaped male member when said male member is inserted into the socket, to compensate for manufacturing tolerances and inaccuracies and to grip said male member intermittently by said plastically deformed ridges or peaks distributed over substantially the whole of an interface between said male member and said socket. Said internal ridges or peaks may extend longitudinally and may be in the form of flutes. Instead, at least a part of the longitudinally extending wall defining the socket may have a series of generally circumferential grooves therein. The grooves may form a helix, screw thread fashion. The invention extends to a combination of a drill bit which includes a body which has a mounting socket having a mouth toward an end of the body, the socket being defined by a longitudinally extending wall having an inner surface of generally round female frusto-conical shape tapering from the mouth inwardly, and a plurality of recesses formed and arranged to leave intact internal ridges or peaks coinciding with said round female frusto-conical shape and being distributed over substantially the whole of the surface of said socket, the material of the body being of metal; and a shaft having a first frusto-conical end portion of round cross-section complemental to said socket and received within said socket, and a second end portion opposed to said first end portion and which is connectable to a drilling machine, wherein the material of the body is hardened and tempered to cause said ridges or peaks to deform plastically and to conform to the exact size and shape of said first frusto-conical end portion, said plastic deformation of the ridges or peaks compensating for manufacturing tolerances and inaccuracies, said ridges and peaks gripping said first frusto-conical end portion intermittently over substantially the whole of an interface between said first frusto-conical end portion and said socket. In use, said ridges or peaks may cut through soft foreign matter on said smooth surface of said first frusto-conical end portion. When the rotary/percussion drilling operation begins, some or all of the peaks of the flutes are plastically deformed, so that a greater surface area of contact is provided between the body and the shaft. Thus, attachment of the drill bit to the shaft is improved which in turn reduces the possibility of drill bits becoming detached from their associated shafts during the drilling operation. The invention is now described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a plan view of an operatively inner end of a first embodiment of a drill bit, in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows a schematic view of the drill bit of Figure 1 in combination with a shaft; Figure 3 shows a sectional side view of the drill bit of Figure 1, in combination with a shaft, along lines III-III in Figure 2; and Figure 4 shows, in axial section, a second embodiment of a drill bit in accordance with the invention. Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, one embodiment of a drill bit in accordance with the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The drill bit 10 includes a body 12 which has a socket 14 located in an operatively inner end 16 thereof. The socket 14 is defined by a longitudinally extending wall 18. The drill bit 10 also includes a plurality of recesses 20 in the form of or resembling flutes in the wall 18. The flutes 20 extend longitudinally for at least a part of the depth of the socket 14. Each flute 20 is defined by a valley 22 which has a peak 24 defined on each opposed side thereof. Referring to Figures 2 and 3, a combination of the drill bit 10, and a shaft 34, in accordance with the invention, is designated generally by reference numeral 30. The socket 14 is tapered as shown in Figure 3, so as to be able to receive a first end portion 32 of the shaft 34 which has a complementary taper. The taper on the socket 14 is nominally 12 degrees whilst the complementary taper on the end portion 32 of the shaft 34 is 12 degrees ± 15 minutes. The drill bit 10 has a cavity 36 located therein along a longitudinal axis thereof. The cavity 36 is adjacent the socket 14 and has a smaller cross-sectional area than the socket 14. The drill bit 10 also has a passage 38 which has a smaller cross-sectional area than the cavity 36 and is also located along the longitudinal axis thereof adjacent the cavity 36 on an opposed side of the cavity 36 to the socket 14. The drill bit 10 has a crown portion 40 located at an end portion 42 thereof. The crown portion 40 has four bits 44 arranged symmetrically around a periphery thereof in a spaced relationship as shown in Figure 1. The crown portion 40 also has four hollows 46 located therein in a spaced relationship around the periphery thereof as shown in Figure 1. The hollows 46 are arranged to be symmetrically located around the periphery with each hollow 46 being arranged between adjacent bits 44. Each hollow 46 extends longitudinally along the drill bit 10 and has a hole 48 located therein which connects with the cavity 36. The end portion 42 has two channel-like grooves 52 located therein. The grooves 52 intersect each other perpendicularly at a mouth 54 of the passage 38. The shaft 34 has a bore 58 therethrough along a longitudinal axis thereof. In use, the end portion 32 of the shaft 34 is received in the socket 14 and an opposed second end portion (not shown) of the shaft 34 is connected to a drilling machine (not shown). When the rotary/percussion drilling operation begins, some or all of the peaks 24 of the flutes 20 are plastically deformed so that a greater surface area of contact and more intimate contact is provided between the wall 18 of the socket 14 and a surface 60 of the end portion 32 of the shaft 34. Thus, the attachment of the drill bit 10 to the shaft 34 is improved, which in turn reduces the possibility of the drill bit 10 becoming detached from its associated shaft 34 during the drilling operation. During the drilling operation, water is injected through the bore 58 of the shaft 34, into the socket 14 and cavity 36 to flow out of the passage 38 and holes 48. This water circulates around the drill bit 10 and shaft 34 to effect cooling of the drill bit 10 and shaft 34. The shaft 34 and the body 12 are formed from a hardened and tempered metallic material. The Applicant believes that this invention may obviate the use of shim stock which is presently used to accommodate discrepancies between the taper at the end portion 32 of the shaft 34 and the taper in the socket 14 which may vary by approximately 2 degrees. The Applicant further believes that the flutes 20 may cause any dirt or other extraneous matter located between the wall 18 of the socket 14 and the surface 60 of the end portion 32 of the shaft 34 to be more easily removable, thereby to improve adhesion between the wall 18 of the socket 14 and the surface 60 of the shaft 34. With reference to Figure 4, a second embodiment of a drill bit in accordance with the invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 110. The drill bit 110 is, in principle, similar to the drill bit 10 of Figures 1, 2 and 3 and is not again described in detail. Like reference numerals refer to like features. The drill bit 110 is especially suitable for use as a rotary drill bit. The drill bit 110 is in the form of a body 112 having, at one end, a socket 114 formed therein. Toward an opposed end, it has a crown portion 140 which is generally known in the art and which is not described. The socket 114 is formed in an operatively inner end 116 of the body 112. The socket 114 is formed by a longitudinal and circumferential wall 118. The socket 114 is generally taper at nominally 12°. In accordance with the invention, helical fluting 120 is formed internally in the socket surface. The fluting is in the form of a helical flute of which portions are shown at 122 in Figure 4. Each portion 122 is flanked by peaks 124, each peak 124 being intermediate portions 122 of the flute. The direction or "hand" (i.e. left hand or right hand) of the helical flute is selected such that, bearing in mind the direction of rotation of a rotary drill driving the drill bit in use, the rotation of the rotary drill will enhance securing of the drill bit to a shaft via which it is attached to the rotary drill. The material of the body 112, and more specifically the longitudinal, peripheral wall 118, is hardened and tempered steel. As was described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3, a shaft such as the shaft 34 having a tapered end portion 32 is receivable within the socket 114. When thus received, the peaks 124 deform plastically to take up any irregularities and to make provision for manufacturing tolerances in the taper portion 32 such that the taper portion 32 is supported, intermittently by the deformed peaks, along the whole of its circumference, and substantially the whole of its length. Such receipt and deformation of the peaks take place initially when drilling with the drill bit commences, and deformation of the peaks continues progressively until receipt is stabilized. It is a first advantage that contact between the socket 114 and the taper portion 32, albeit intermittently, takes place over a large area i.e. substantially spread over the whole of the area of the taper portion 32 as explained above. It is thus envisaged that receipt of the taper portion 32 within the socket 114 is more stable than in known art drill bit and drill shaft combinations. It is further an advantage that, because the bearing surface of the socket 114, although spread out over a relatively large area, is in fact relatively small thus allowing plastic deformation to take place and thus allowing surface irregularities and manufacturing tolerances to be taken up thus ensuring a stabilized and rigid fit. Simultaneously, it allows manufacturing tolerances to be relaxed. It is also believed that the peaks 124 will be able to cut through dirt, scale, or the like on the surface of the taper portion thus ensuring an intimate fit to the mother material of the shaft. Furthermore, rotation in use will enhance securing of the drill bit to a shaft, as described above. It is yet a further advantage, so the Applicant believes, that replacement of the drill bit is facilitated in that the helical fluting facilitates removal of a spent or blunt drill bit from the shaft.

Claims: A drill bit (10; 110) which includes a body (12; 112) which has a mounting socket (14; 114) having a mouth toward an end (16; 116) of the body, the socket being defined by a longitudinally extending wall (18; 118) having an inner surface of generally round female frusto-conical shape tapering from the mouth inwardly, and a plurality of recesses (20; 120) formed and arranged to leave intact internal ridges or peaks (24; 124) coinciding with said round female frusto-conical shape and being distributed over substantially the whole of the surface of said socket (14; 114), the material of the body being of metal, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the metal material of the body (12; 112) is hardened and tempered to render said ridges or peaks (24; 124) plastically deformable, to conform in use to an exact size and shape (32) of a generally complementally sized and shaped male member (34) when said male member is inserted into the socket (14; 114), to compensate for manufacturing tolerances and inaccuracies and to grip said male member intermittently by said plastically deformed ridges or peaks (24; 124) distributed over substantially the whole of an interface (18, 118; 32) between said male member (34) and said socket (14; 114). A drill bit as claimed in Claim 1 characterized in that said internal ridges or peaks (24) extend longitudinally and are in the form of flutes. A drill bit as claimed in Claim 1 characterized in that said internal ridges or peaks (124) extend circumferentially. A combination of a drill bit (10; 110) which includes a body (12; 112) which has a mounting socket (14; 114) having a mouth toward an end (16; 116) of the body, the socket being defined by a longitudinally extending wall (18; 118) having an inner surface of generally round female frusto-conical shape tapering from the mouth inwardly, and a plurality of recesses (20; 120) formed and arranged to leave intact internal ridges or peaks (24; 124) coinciding with said round female frusto-conical shape and being distributed over substantially the whole of the surface of said socket (14; 114), the material of the body being of metal; and a shaft (34) having a first frusto-conical end portion (32) of round cross-section complemental to said socket (14; 114) received within said socket, and a second end portion opposed to said first end portion and which is connectable to a drilling machine, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the metal of the body (12; 112) is hardened and tempered to cause said ridges or peaks (24; 124) to deform plastically and to conform to the exact size and shape of said first frusto-conical end portion (32), said plastic deformation of the ridges or peaks (24; 124) compensating for manufacturing tolerances and inaccuracies, said ridges and peaks gripping said first frusto-conical end portion (32) intermittently over substantially the whole of an interface (32; 18, 118) between said first frusto-conical end portion (32) and said socket (14; 114). A combination as claimed in Claim 4 characterized in that said internal ridges or peaks (24) extend longitudinally and are in the form of flutes. A combination as claimed in Claim 4 characterized in that said internal ridges or peaks (124) extend circumferentially. A combination as claimed in any one of Claim 4 to Claim 6 inclusive, characterized in that said ridges or peaks (24; 124) cut through soft foreign matter on said smooth surface of said first frusto-conical end portion (32).

Inventors: KLOPPERS STEPHANUS FREDERICK, KLOPPERS, STEPHANUS FREDERICK
Applicants: AMIC IND LTD, AMIC INDUSTRIES LIMITED
Application year: 1994
Main classification: E21B17
IPC codes: E21B17